Around Southeast Missouri 2/8/06

Dexter aldermen say no to liquor license

DEXTER, Mo. -- Aldermen voted 3 to 2 against issuing a package liquor and Sunday sales license to Eldon Evans of Evans' Quick Shop. The Rev. Kenneth Biggs of the First General Baptist Church, his wife, Doris, and a number of parishioners from area churches in Dexter commended the board for rejecting the license application and urged them to make the same decision if the situation presented itself again. Dexter city attorney Yewell "Bud" Lawrence stated Monday night that apparently due to an oversight, the city only had nine of its allotted 10 liquor licenses issued. Lawrence pointed out that while the city did vote down the application, the state of Missouri can issue a "resort" license in certain cases. "For the state to issue a resort license, a certain percentage of their business has to be from food," he said. "And that's only for sale by the drink." He added that while the state can issue a license for restaurant sales, the city has final say over package liquor and taverns.

-- Dexter Daily Statesman

Dexter officials consider new police station

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dexter Alderman Kirby Taylor is insisting the city consider constructing a new police station. "The city's sat long enough in that station," Taylor said. "To house them in such a building is a disgrace." According to Taylor, the building, which was constructed in 1974, is cramped and not up to the standards he feels Dexter's police department deserves. Aldermen Rick Hux and Terry Battles echoed his comments on the problem with the size of the current police station, but offered a different approach. "I think we should also look at the possibility of building onto the existing building," Hux said. He suggested having a proposal on the idea put together and presented to the board at a later date. Mayor Joe Weber also said that the city would be looking into the financial aspects of the idea to see what the city can handle, but Taylor made it clear that he wanted to see something done soon.

-- Dexter Daily Statesman

Plane crash claims two Hornersville residents

HORNERSVILLE, Mo. -- The search for a missing aircraft and its passengers ended Monday when the plane was located at a crash site near Birmingham, Ala. Larry Masters, 63, and his wife, Suzanna, 45, of rural Hornersville boarded a 1970 model Cessna 172K, a fixed-wing, single-engine airplane, at about 6 p.m. Friday and were scheduled to make a fuel stop in Alabama later that evening. After refueling, the couple was expected to continue their flight to Florida before boarding a cruise ship. After the pair left the Hornersville airport, they were never seen again. According to reports, the pair never arrived for their scheduled stop in Alabama. KAIT8 Channel 8 News from Jonesboro, Ark., announced Monday morning that the Arkansas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol was activated by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center late Sunday afternoon to participate in the search for the light aircraft. Rescuers confirmed what a relative told K8 News on Monday, that a call to the couples' cell phone indicated that it was reaching a cell tower near Birmingham, which led rescuers to a close proximity of where the couple's cell phone attracted its last cellular signal. "We were able to get up in our helicopter and actually take the coordinates from the tower the cell phone pinged off of," Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale said. "Our deputies flew over and spotted the wreckage."

-- Kennett Daily Dunklin Democrat

Man accused of forgery in eight towns is arrested

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man accused of forging checks in eight communities throughout Southeast Missouri is awaiting formal charges by various prosecuting attorney offices. Charles White, 24, of Poplar Bluff was arrested Friday after officers with the Poplar Bluff Police Department, Dexter Police Department and Butler County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant on his residence in rural Butler County. The search resulted in the recovery of items purchased by the suspect with forged checks, police said. These items included consumer electronics, clothing and household items. Since mid-October, area law enforcement agencies have worked a rash of forged check cases in Cape Girardeau, Dexter, Farmington, Fredericktown, Jackson, Park Hills, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston. White, who was present at the time of the execution of the search warrant, was arrested on multiple counts of forgery. He was booked at the Poplar Bluff Police Department and is being held at the Butler County Jail pending formal charges.

-- Sikeston Standard Democrat

Pemiscot County man shot by relative

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A family argument ended with one person shot and another facing criminal charges. Billy J. Elliott, 26, of Holland, Mo., is to be arraigned today on charges of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and possession/discharge of a firearm while intoxicated. Elliott's bond is set at $100,000. According to Pemiscot County Sheriff Tommy Greenwell, officers were called to a house on Route O, just south of Cooter at 3:11 a.m. Tuesday. Elliott was inside the residence but was not armed at the time, the sheriff reported in a news release. Apparently Elliott had argued with a family member at another residence and fired several shots from a 12-gauge shotgun. Elliott then forced the family member at gunpoint to the residence of Barney Elliott, 79. Shots were fired at the second residence with Barney Elliott receiving gunshot wounds to his leg. Barney Elliott was air lifted to St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark., where he was treated and released. Billy Elliott was taken to the Pemiscot County Jail at Caruthersville.

-- Sikeston Standard Democrat